This invention relates generally to audio players, and more specifically to portable MP3 players.
There is a trend in the electronic accessories business to converge devices. For example, cellular telephones are converging with personal data assistants (PDAs), MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 (MP3) players, and the like. When electronic devices converge, however, the device can become complicated to operate. A primary example is a universal remote control. It is not uncommon to have a universal remote control with 50 or more buttons.
While there are many portable MP3 players on the market, including those manufactured by Sony, Philips, and Audiovox, an extensive search of over 70 MP3 players on the market reveals that the typical MP3 player has five buttons or more. These buttons include volume, power, track select and the like. This large number of buttons makes it difficult to merge MP3 players with cellular telephones without increasing complexity and cost. There is thus a need for a simplified MP3 player.